By Guy Phillips

Update 3: Consultation event going ahead today 18/7/22 3.15-7pm at Ascension Church said Sovereign on Sunday night
A housing association is developing plans for 82 “highly sustainable and affordable” homes on what was the playing field to the south of the former St Mary’s Independent School.
Image: Google Maps

Sovereign Housing Association says it’s “in the early stages” of developing plans for the 3.15 hectare site adjacent to Monastery Road and Beech Avenue, near Midanbury Lane, which it's confirmed it now owns now [19/7/22] said it has acquired an interest to purchase subject to obtaining planning permission.

Image: Google Maps

The 82 homes will be provided “alongside an area of extensive public open space”.

A Sovereign spokesperson told bitternepark.info: “We are are committed to building the right homes in the right places, and we’re looking forward to transforming this disused former playing field into a characterful and sustainable development with new and inviting open spaces.”

They added: “Over the years the quality of this playing field has deteriorated significantly, making it unsuitable for sports and recreation, and open to development.”

The housing association is holding a public information event on Monday, July 18 from 3.15-7pm at Grace Hall, Ascension Church, 1 Thorold Road, Southampton, SO18 1HZ, where it says members of the project team will be on hand to answer questions and provide more detail.

“The event is free and open for anyone to attend; however, we particularly welcome attendance from the 750 households in the immediate vicinity of the site - who we wrote to earlier this week with details of the development,” said Sovereign’s spokesperson.

Further information is also due to be posted online from Friday, July 15 at https://www.sovereign.org.uk/developing-homes/st-marys where comments and feedback will be able to be posted.

Sovereign says the period for submitting comments will be until Tuesday, July 26 – a period described by one nearby resident, who also expressed initial concerns about the traffic implications, flooding, utilities and wildlife, as “absurdly short”.

Yarrow Heights SEN, and Charlton House schools, which now operate near the proposed development site, were approached for comment.

Update 18/7/22 consultation event going ahead today 18/7/22 3.15-7pm at Ascension Church, Thorold Road despite the heatwave alert, says Sovereign HA.More information on their website, where they've also now published more details about the scheme and an invitation to submit comments.

• Join the discussion on our Facebook page

Updated 8/7/22 with correct link, and to include confirmation that Sovereign now owns the land - but see further update below of 20/7/22.

Updated 20/7/22 *Corrected to reflect that Sovereign later confirmed it does not in fact currently own the land, but has "acquired an interest to purchase" it subject to obtaining planning permission